Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have moved into a more practical phase of their Makkah Joint Defence Agreement after the military chiefs of the three countries met in Riyadh to discuss closer coordination.
The meeting brought together Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir, Saudi Arabia’s Chief of General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili and Türkiye’s Chief of General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu. The discussions focused on the security situation facing Saudi Arabia and ways to strengthen cooperation among the three armed forces.
The talks came shortly after the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye discussed the same defence framework during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The latest military-level meeting gives the agreement a more operational dimension.
Military Chiefs Meet
According to statements from Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry and Pakistan’s military, the three commanders reviewed security threats facing the Kingdom and discussed ways to expand cooperation between their armed forces.
Their discussions included greater intelligence sharing, military coordination and the integration of capabilities. The participants also reaffirmed their commitment to collective defence and discussed ways to turn the commitments made under the Makkah agreement into practical military cooperation.
The commanders also condemned recent attacks targeting Makkah as well as civilian and economic infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
The meeting therefore went beyond a formal diplomatic gathering. It brought the senior military leadership of all three countries together to discuss how their defence relationship can function during a period of heightened regional tensions.
Makkah Pact
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026.
Under the agreement, an armed attack against one of the participating countries is to be regarded as an attack against all three. The countries said the arrangement was intended to strengthen collective deterrence and military cooperation.
The agreement was followed by work to establish the institutions needed to support it. The three countries have been discussing a general secretariat, committees and working groups as part of the process of putting the agreement into operation.
The latest meeting in Riyadh represents another step in that process. Instead of remaining only a political commitment, the agreement is now being discussed directly by the senior defence leadership of its three members.
Saudi Security
The timing of the meeting is closely linked to the security situation in Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Houthi movement has carried out attacks against Saudi targets, including attacks involving missiles and drones. Saudi authorities have reported intercepting missiles, while the Houthis have claimed attacks against locations inside the Kingdom.
The recent attacks have increased pressure on Saudi Arabia at a time when the wider region is already facing significant security and economic disruption.
During their earlier meeting in New York, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye condemned attacks against Makkah and Saudi civilian and economic sites. They also discussed arrangements for the military chiefs to meet under the Makkah agreement.
The Riyadh meeting followed that diplomatic discussion and allowed the defence leadership to examine the situation directly.
Cooperation Expands
One of the clearest outcomes of the military chiefs’ meeting was a commitment to strengthen practical cooperation.
Intelligence sharing was among the areas discussed, along with military coordination and the integration of capabilities. Such cooperation can provide channels for the three countries to communicate more closely and coordinate their defence planning.
The countries also stressed the importance of collective defence. Their statements said the meeting reflected a shared intention to translate the commitments of the Makkah agreement into effective cooperation.
However, the latest meeting did not announce a specific new military operation involving Pakistan or Türkiye. The public statements instead focused on cooperation, coordination and the collective-defence framework.
That distinction is important because discussions about military cooperation do not automatically mean that a particular deployment or combat operation has been announced.
Pakistan’s Role
Pakistan has a significant role in the agreement because it maintains long-standing defence ties with Saudi Arabia and has also developed closer military cooperation with Türkiye.
The Makkah agreement creates a formal three-country framework for those relationships. It provides the participating states with a mechanism for consultation and coordination when their shared security interests are involved.
Pakistan has also been involved in developing the institutional structure of the agreement. The three countries have been working on arrangements intended to support regular coordination between their governments and armed forces.
For Islamabad, the latest meeting provides another opportunity to coordinate directly with Riyadh and Ankara as the regional security situation develops.
Türkiye’s Role
Türkiye is also becoming more closely involved in the practical side of the defence arrangement.
The presence of General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu at the Riyadh meeting placed Türkiye’s senior military leadership directly alongside its Pakistani and Saudi counterparts. Their discussions covered the security situation and ways to improve cooperation between the three armed forces.
The arrangement therefore brings together three countries with existing political and defence relationships while creating a new formal structure for cooperation.
How far that cooperation develops will depend on decisions by the governments and military leadership of the three countries.
What Comes Next
The Riyadh meeting marks an important stage in the development of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
The pact was signed only recently, but the three countries have already moved from the signing stage toward establishing institutions and holding direct discussions between their senior military officials.
The latest talks show that intelligence sharing, military coordination and capability integration are now part of the practical discussions surrounding the agreement.
At the same time, the countries have not publicly announced a specific military deployment or new operation through the pact. The immediate focus remains on strengthening coordination and collective defence while responding to the security situation affecting Saudi Arabia.
As Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye continue developing the agreement, further meetings and institutional work will determine how the new defence framework operates in practice.
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